Twitter introduces pre-roll ads to Periscope videos

Twitter is announcing a new ad unit — pre-roll ads on Periscope videos.

In a blog post, Periscope Group Project Manager Mike Folgner says the ads will appear in a way that’s “organic to how people already consume that content on the platform.” Basically, publishers will have the option to run a short video ad that plays before you watch their Periscope videos (both live broadcasts and replays) on Twitter.

“For creators and publishers that use Periscope to go live on Twitter every day, these pre-roll ads present a new way to monetize their video content,” Folgner writes. “For marketers, they have a new source of video advertising beyond what was previously available, including ads during live streaming programs, Promoted Tweets with Periscope video, and custom Amplify campaigns with live content from influential creators.”

Twitter says it will be making Periscope pre-rolls broadly available to advertisers over the next few months.

This is a crucial time for Twitter’s ad business. Despite all the attention around the U.S. presidential campaign (and Donald Trump’s Twitter account) ad revenue seemed to stall at the end of 2016 — an issue that CEO Jack Dorsey addressed in the most recent earnings call, when he said, “2017 will be about simplifying and differentiating our revenue products.”